Editing Hattie Jacques (section)

===After ''Carry On'': 1974–1980===

====Final appearances====
In 1974 Jacques's sons were arrested for [[Drug possession|possession of cannabis]], and her house was searched by police. In the same week that the two boys appeared in court, she received official notification of the intention to appoint her as an [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]. In order to protect her sons from further press intrusion she declined the honour.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=172–73}}{{efn|Robin and Kim Le Mesurier were both fined £20 for the charge of the drugs possession.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=173}}}} Later that year, while filming the third series of ''Sykes'', she suffered a cancer scare and lost a considerable amount of weight. Despite this she refused to interrupt the busy production schedule; when filming was completed on 5 December she underwent surgery at [[Charing Cross Hospital]] for what proved to be benign tumours on her kidneys.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=170–71}}

In 1976 Jacques appeared in a promotional advertising film for [[British Rail]], which pitted her against racing driver [[Jackie Stewart]] in a race to London.<ref name="SC: race" /> From 1976 onwards Sykes and Jacques appeared together in the stage play ''A Hatful of Sykes'', both in the UK and internationally.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=179–95}}{{efn|The play ran intermittently from 1976 to September 1979 at various places in the UK (including seasons at Torquay, Lincoln, Blackpool and Bournemouth; a UK national tour; and an international tour that included Hong Kong (February&nbsp;– March 1977), Rhodesia (April&nbsp;– May 1978), Canada (December 1978&nbsp;– January 1979) and South Africa (February&nbsp;– March 1979).{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=179–95}}}} During the course of the different tours relations between the two stars became increasingly strained and Sykes altered the act several times to ensure he received more acclaim than Jacques.<ref name="D Exp: heart breaking" /> While appearing in Blackpool in 1977 Jacques's health became problematic as she suffered from [[arthritis]] and ulcerated legs, which required daily dressing. Because a dressing room was arranged that avoided her needing to use stairs, Sykes accused her of receiving special treatment.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=183}} When the show moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sykes "began to behave rather strangely&nbsp;... and he even accused Hattie&nbsp;... of not being able to deliver a proper feed line".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=191}} By the time the show appeared in Brighton in 1979 the relationship between the two "was rapidly deteriorating", and, although the pair praised each other in public, Jacques felt hurt by Sykes's treatment of her.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=199}} Despite the differences, the pair filmed the seventh series of ''Sykes'' in 1979,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=646}} and—in April 1980—the television film ''[[Rhubarb Rhubarb]]''; although her part was a small one, she looked "a little unsteady on her feet", according to Merriman.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=203}}{{efn|''Rhubarb Rhubarb'' was broadcast on ITV on 15 December 1980, two months after Jacques's death.<ref name="BFI: Rhubarb, Rhubarb" />}}

====Death and tributes====
[[File:Ruth Jones Little Britain Gavin and Stacey.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Ruth Jones]], who portrayed Jacques in ''[[Hattie (film)|Hattie]]'']]

In May 1980 Jacques's doctor advised her against travelling to Greece on holiday as planned, so she visited Ireland instead. During the return ferry crossing she told her friend Bruce Copp that "You know I'm not going to live long".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=204}} Her health remained poor, and insurance companies refused to insure her for film work. By October her weight had risen again; she had problems breathing and was again admitted to Charing Cross Hospital. She took a weekend break from hospital and returned home to Eardley Crescent, where on 6 October she died from a heart attack in her sleep at the age of 58; she was also suffering from kidney failure.{{sfn|Gray|2004}}{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=205 & 208}}

Jacques's funeral took place at [[Putney Vale Cemetery|Putney Vale Crematorium]], where her ashes were scattered. Her sons refused to allow Sykes entry to the funeral because they resented the way he had treated her during the stage show;<ref name="D Exp: heart breaking" /> Sykes was upset by the exclusion and failed to understand why he had been banned. The other notable absentee from the funeral was Joan Sims, who "stayed in her home and spent the day drinking, reading old letters from Hattie and wallowing in self pity", according to Merriman.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=210}}

Kenneth Williams was deeply saddened by the loss of his friend, and wrote that "all the chums have died&nbsp;... one is left marooned on the shore&nbsp;... the tide is receding and leaving some incongruous wrecks exposed&nbsp;... I fear I am one of them".{{sfn|Stevens|2010|p=308}} John Le Mesurier described Jacques as "a remarkable lady&nbsp;... [who] had an aura of love and kindness about her",<ref name="D Exp: Laughter & Tears" /> while her obituary in ''The Times'' observed that "she will be remembered with affection by all who saw her".<ref name="Times: Obit" /> A month after the funeral, a memorial service was held at [[St Paul's, Covent Garden]], otherwise known as the Actors' Church,<ref name="D Exp: Laughter & Tears" /> which was described by Le Mesurier as a "joyous occasion".{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=142}}

A memorial plaque to Jacques is situated in St Paul's, Covent Garden.{{sfn|Time Out|2003|p=123}} In November 1995 a [[blue plaque]] was unveiled by Eric Sykes and [[Clive Dunn]]—a colleague from her Players' Theatre days—at her former house: 67 Eardley Crescent, [[Earls Court]], London.<ref name="PA: Blue plaque" /> In 2002 plaques were unveiled for Jacques, Sid James and Tony Hancock at BBC [[Broadcasting House]] in London.<ref name="D. Post: Jacques plaque" />

In 2011 Jacques and Le Mesurier's marriage was the subject of a [[BBC Four]] biographical film called ''[[Hattie (film)|Hattie]]'', which focused on Jacques's affair with John Schofield.<ref name="BBC: Hattie"/> She was played by [[Ruth Jones]], who Robin Le Mesurier thought "had captured my mother perfectly".<ref name="Mail: Robin: Secret lover" /> Jones was thrilled at playing Jacques whom she considered to be her comedy heroine, describing her as an "incredibly talented and fascinating woman both on and off screen".<ref name="W Mail: Jones" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Ruth has captured my mum Hattie perfectly |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ruth-captured-mum-hattie-perfectly-1858437 |access-date=27 April 2020 |work=walesonline |date=17 January 2011}}</ref>